King Cake
by tianaveen
Summary: Mardi Gras has always been special to Tiana and Naveen. This year a piece of King Cake, the traditional dessert of the holiday, will help make it even more so.


"Thank goodness you're back, princess," Naveen said, giving Tiana a weary smile. He shifted the boxes of decorations he was holding so he could lean down and kiss her dimpled cheek.

"Sorry I took so long," Tiana said, taking some of the colorful decorations from her husband. "We're still on schedule, aren't we? The prep cooks have started making the roux for the gumbo, right?"

"Um… I don't know," Naveen admitted. "I've been so busy with everything else, and the Firefly Five is getting ready to start rehearsal and -."

"Say no more," Tiana interrupted. This was the second Mardi Gras that _Tiana's Palace _had hosted since they opened, but it was no less chaotic than the first. At least this time nothing had caught on fire - yet.

Just glancing around at the way her staff was creating a mess with the decorations was enough to tell Tiana she was needed.

"Looks like I'd better go into the kitchen and check on that roux," Tiana said, more to herself than her husband. "Check on the lights in the chandelier, and make sure the King Cakes are done…"

"King Cakes?" Naveen perked up. "We're still having King Cakes?" Outside of beignets, they were his favorite dessert.

"It wouldn't be Mardi Gras without King Cakes," Tiana smiled.

The dessert was a New Orleans tradition. Just thinking of the tender buttery cake, covered in vanilla glaze and colorful sugars made Naveen's mouth water. He hoped he would be able to have a piece tonight. It had been selling out every night, which of course was wonderful, but he wanted to be able to have at least one piece before Mardi Gras was over.

It would be a challenge though. If it was anything like last year, every table that was served tonight would be ordering King Cake. Not just for the wonderful flavor, but only on Mardi Gras did Tiana sneak in little toy babies for customers to find.

Traditionally the cakes had toy babies or beans inside. Whoever found one would have luck for the next year, and everyone wanted to try for the lucky piece, including Naveen.

Seeming to read his mind, Tiana reached out to cup his cheek. "I'll be sure to save a special piece, just for you."

Naveen smiled softly and leaned into her hand. "Thank you, princess."

On stage, Louis was running through a simple tune, but missed a note rather loudly. The rest of the band laughed good naturedly, but Tiana could tell they were anxious to get started with rehearsal.

"I'd better get going and see what the kitchen is up to." Tiana nodded in the direction of the stage. "Looks like you're needed elsewhere, too."

"Very true, my darling. The band must sound its best for our adoring fans." Naveen gave her a lopsided smile. "Of course there is only one fan I'm worried about." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a soft, slow kiss.

The band members whistled and howled, teasing them, but neither Tiana nor Naveen cared.

"I'll see you later, then?" Naveen asked softly. "For cake?"

Tiana couldn't help but giggle. The way his voice dipped made it clear he had some other things on his mind as well.

"Mhmm," she replied, still a little dreamy from the kiss. "And I can tell you all about my um... meeting I had this morning."

Oh right. Naveen had completely forgotten that's where she had been this morning. When she told him about it, Tiana had been vague on what exactly the meeting would be about, and who she would be meeting with, for that matter.

Now Naveen's curiosity was brewing. "You can just tell me now, yes?"

"Now's not a good time," Tiana said softly and straightened his tie. "And I think you need to be sitting down for it, anyway."

Sitting down? Naveen's stomach lurched. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine," Tiana assured him, cupping his cheek once more. "Don't worry."

That was easier said than done. Naveen kept reassuring himself there was nothing to worry about (if there really was something wrong, Tiana would have told him. She wouldn't make him wait), but that didn't mean he wasn't extremely curious what it was she wanted to talk to him about.

Despite all that needed to be done before _Tiana's Palace _opened for the evening, and everything that required his attention when customers arrived, Naveen found himself replaying his conversation with Tiana over and over in his mind.

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he made a mess of any number of things throughout the evening. He took down wrong orders, played his ukulele off key, tripped over his own feet breaking everything on the tray he was holding, and even cut himself while he was mincing.

After bandaging him up, Tiana kissed him on his cheek and sent him out to go get supplies at the store.

Naveen was fully aware that it was just a plot to get him out of the way, but it did help to clear his head, at least for a little while. When he returned, he was relieved to find that the dinner rush was over. There were still plenty of people sitting at tables, but they were all happily eating their meals. The kitchen would have a bit of a break before desserts were ordered.

So Naveen began to search for his wife. He tried the kitchen and the dining area, and didn't see her.

"Looking for this?"

Startled, Naveen turned to find Tiana leaning against the doorframe to her office, offering him a plate of King Cake.

He'd completely forgotten about their earlier flirtation over the dessert.

"There you are," Naveen said, all at once relieved and anxious to hear what she had to say. "Now is a good time to talk, yes?

"Yes," Tiana agreed, and opened her office door. "I'm sorry I made you so worked up all day. Here." She handed him the dessert. "Eat your cake."

"Worked up? I don't know what you're talking about." Naveen tried to laugh at his concerns and failed. Still he put on a smile. "Though I must confess you have made me very curious about this meeting of yours."

The meeting. Right. That's what she had called it. Tiana still felt guilty about lying to him like that, but if you think about it, in a way she was telling the truth. She really had gone to meet someone, but not many people called a doctor's appointment a meeting.

It was just that she hadn't wanted to worry him over nothing. Tiana rarely got sick, and when she did it hit her hard. So when she started feeling funny, she grew concerned and hadn't wanted to take a chance with Mardi Gras coming up.

It wasn't until after she had scheduled the appointment that she realized what it could be. This gave her another reason to be vague with Naveen beforehand. She didn't want him to get excited over nothing.

But once she left the doctor's that morning, Tiana's mind began to whirl with ways to tell him her news. He was always giving her surprises, and now it was her turn. Though even in her wildest imagination she never anticipated that the simple act of surprising him she would make him worry himself sick, the very thing she had wanted to avoid in the first place.

Now Naveen was looking at her expectantly and Tiana's stomach jumped. She could tell him now. There was absolutely nothing stopping her from doing it. Still, she glanced at the King Cake on his plate, untouched so far, though his fork was raised and ready to go.

Tiana bit her lip and decided to wait. It would be a shame to waste such a perfect line.

"Eat your cake," Tiana said again. "Let's talk about the menu for next week."

Naveen gave her a questioning look, but to her relief began to eat his cake.

It felt good to talk about something simple like the plans for the menu next week after all the planning that Mardi Gras took. Though Naveen was hardly the expert on food that Tiana was, she loved it when they worked together like this. It really cemented that the restaurant wasn't just her dream anymore, it was theirs. Something they had created together.

At that thought, Tiana's stomach jumped, and she glanced at Naveen's plate again. He was almost finished with the cake, but he still hadn't found the surprise she had tucked inside.

She had given him the right piece, hadn't she? What if she hadn't and she had to tell him another way? It would be such a shame if she couldn't do it tonight with it being Mardi Gras and all. The holiday was so special to both of them, and after making him wait all day -

"Look, princess!" Naveen said, bringing Tiana out of her thoughts. "I found the baby inside my cake!"

Tiana grew breathless as Naveen grinned wide, showing her the prize that had been hidden in his dessert. Her stomach jumped again, as much as from happiness as from nerves. It had been the right piece of cake after all.

In an almost dreamlike state, she floated to his side, the feeling of euphoria expanding in her chest. Tiana moved his plate aside, and hoped he didn't notice the adrenaline surging through her shaking hands. Though when she spoke, Tiana was surprised to hear just how calm she sounded.

"You know," she began, taking his hands and putting them on her stomach, "that cake isn't the only thing with a baby inside."


End file.
